11.06.2006

18 OF U2'S BEST IN U218 SINGLES

THE WORLD'S BIGGEST ROCK BAND IS BACK, WITH 18 OF THEIR ABSOLUTE BEST SONGS

by Joelle Jacinto

After a stellar twenty-six year career of hit singles that encompass the many breadths, heights and depths of life; after releasing twelve albums and two definitive “Best Of” collections that were all generation-defining works of art; after a continuous mission of changing the world, not just with their music, but really getting into the thick of things and instigating that change; after getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame, what does U2 have left to do? Well, on the 20th of this month, they’re going to release U218 Singles.

You guessed it, U218 Singles is a “Best Of” disc, but not merely a “Best Of U2,” since they’ve already done that—twice—with The Best of 1980–1990 and The Best of 1990–2000. This time, it’s a “Best of U2's singles,” the first one-disc collection to span the band’s career from Boy (1980) to How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (2004). It's got 18 tracks, featuring 16 of the biggest singles throughout their career, and two brand new songs recorded just last October.

Also, judging by the album cover, the number 18 has another special significance aside from being the number of tracks on the album—the band was formed when they were all 18 years old. Drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. put up a want ad looking for a band on a bulletin board in their high school in Dublin, Ireland in 1978. It was responded to by bassist Adam Clayton, guitarist Dave Evans, whom we all know better as The Edge, and vocalist Paul Hewson, whom we all know better as Bono. A year later, they released a 3-song EP which amassed a following via word-of-mouth in their native Ireland and led to their signing with Island Records and the release of their debut album Boy in 1980. The EP was entitled U2-3, perhaps another turning point they’re paying tribute to with the release of U218 Singles.

The previously-released tracks that are on U218 Singles are some of the biggest, most memorable, most awe-inspiring songs in rock history, known all over the world. It must have been difficult narrowing it down, but the sixteen that were finally chosen were definite shoo-ins for a “Best Of” Best Of. The album opens with “Beautiful Day,” from All That You Can’t Leave Behind, which was released in 2000, in between the two decade-spanning compilations. On this album, said Rolling Stone, “U2 distill(ed) two decades of music-making into the illusion of effortlessness,” while Bono said, “In our heads we've written 11 singles for this record.” True to form, three more singles from All That You Can’t Leave Behind appear on U218 Singles: “Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of,” “Walk On” and “Elevation.”

“Sunday Bloody Sunday,” which you would expect to be on any definitive U2 compilation, is, of course, on the tracklist, as well as “New Year’s Day,” which is also from War, the album that first defined U2 as a great rock band worldwide in 1983. U2 was becoming known for their rousing anthems, a reputation that was bolstered a year later with the release of The Unforgettable Fire, featuring “Pride (In The Name of Love).” “Pride,” also on the U218 Singles tracklist, was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Bono once called it “the most successful pop song we’ve ever written.” Edge actually didn’t think writing a song about Dr. King would properly represent what the band was, but when Bono first sang it to them, he said, “It felt right.”

The Joshua Tree was the biggest selling U2 album, their first to hit No.1 in the US and the album that won them Best Rock Performance By A Group Or Duo at the 1987 Grammy Awards. The first single off that album, “With Or Without You” was also U2's first No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Bono opines that “Where The Streets Have No Name” is “more like the U2 of old than any of the other songs on the LP,” while “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” was, as Edge declares, a song that was so far from anything they had done up to that point. The latter was inspired by a gospel song, and the band didn’t take it seriously while writing and recording it. They changed their minds when the song was finished and it was later nominated for two Grammys, for Best Single and Best Record of the Year. All three songs are on U218 Singles.

Several critics thought that 1988’s Rattle And Hum was a poor follow-up to such a huge album; nevertheless, the single “Desire” won that year’s Grammy for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group. Their next album, which was to win the Grammy for Best Rock Album by a Duo or Group, came in 1991. Achtung, Baby was a vast reinvention from Joshua Tree—the songs were personal instead of political, and Bono describes the difference between them as the “journey from innocence to experience.” U218 Singles features two singles from Achtung, Baby—“Mysterious Ways” and “One,” which was recently revived by the band in a collaboration with Mary J. Blige.

One of U2’s biggest singles, “Sweetest Thing,” is not found on any of the albums. It was originally recorded for Joshua Tree but was considered too personal for public consumption—Bono wrote it for his wife, to apologize for spending her birthday in the studio. The band regretted not putting it in the album and released it later on as a single from The Best of 1980–1990. Two singles from U2’s latest album, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, are also featured on U218 Singles—“Vertigo” and “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own.” When the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year, Bruce Springsteen quoted the opening line of “Vertigo” in his presentation speech, saying, “Uno, dos, tres, catorce—that translates as 1, 2, 3, 14. That is the correct math for a rock n' roll band."

U2 is including two brand new tracks in U218 Singles: the first is a collaboration with Green Day, a rendition of The Skids’ “The Saints Are Coming”—it’s currently one of the most watched videos on YouTube, seen by 1.2 million people in only its first week. The single was released for the benefit of Music Rising, a project spearheaded by The Edge for musician victims of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. U2 and Green Day debuted the song live at the re-opening of the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. The second track is “Window In The Skies.” Both songs were produced by Rick Rubin at the Abbey Road Studios in London.



The U2 Flyaway Promo is now closed. Winners of the Trip for 2 to Japan to see U2 perform live will be announced here.

You can still view the U2 Microsite here

Share this article!

• 2009
  • AUGUST
    • BACK TO YEAR ZERO: NINE INCH NAILS IN MANILA
  • MARCH
    • MR. DJ SPINS HIS OWN: ZACH LUCERO DEBUTS WITH FALL CRASH INFECT
• 2008
  • DECEMBER
    • BIPOLAR LISTENING
  • OCTOBER
    • ACROSS HIS UNIVERSE: THE RETURN OF RICO BLANCO
    • BACKSTREET'S BACK! OR AT LEAST HOWIE IS
    • JUST ME: SARAH GERONIMO BLOSSOMS INTO MATURITY
  • JULY
    • DO THE HELIPAD DANCE: DIEGO MAPA AND JASON CABALLA ON PEDICAB’S SOPHIE OUTING
    • HALE-D OVER: BUT NOT OVER
  • FEBRUARY
    • Let’s paint the town Maroon!
  • JANUARY
    • Pinoys join the Black Parade!
    • REKLAMO PARA SA PAGBABAGO
• 2007
  • DECEMBER
    • THE RETURN OF THE PURPLECHICKENS
  • NOVEMBER
    • Artist Feature
    • OVERTONE WILL ROCK YOU
  • OCTOBER
    • HELEN AND HER COME-HITHER SONGS
    • INTOLERANT: DEATH, WAR AND KILLER GUITARS
  • SEPTEMBER
    • CALIPH8, NEON8 AND PASTA GROOVE: THREE DJs MIX IT UP
    • BIG HOWEVER: SONGS FOR ANY WEATHER
    • RHYTHM IS GONNA GET YOU: BRIGADA AND THE SOUL OF SAMBA
    • HANEPS, PARE
  • AUGUST
    • RIVERMAYA, VERSION 3.0
    • LALA'S TURN
  • JULY
    • CATCHING UP WITH KITCHIE
    • RIVERMAYA: DIVORCE, LULL, AND RECOVERY
    • TYPECAST BRINGS THE DRAMA
  • JUNE
    • FATHER MARCUS SAID TO ME
  • MAY
    • GOOD VIBRATIONS: THE BLOOMFIELDS MAKE MUSIC FOR EVERYONE
  • APRIL
    • NARDA'S LAST FLIGHT
    • DEFINING HILERA
  • MARCH
    • COG: CALCULATED FORCE
    • GINILING FESTIVAL: THE REVENGE OF THE CRASS TEST DUMMIES
    • NORAH JONES: WRITING SONGS, TELLING STORIES
  • FEBRUARY
    • VIN DANCEL TURNS THE PAGE
  • JANUARY
    • WOLFGANG AND RAZORBACK ARE ALIVE: THE REUNION CONCERT 2007
    • LOKOMOTIV COMES TO TOWN
• 2006
  • DECEMBER
    • CRAZY, WONDERFUL KATELYN TARVER
  • NOVEMBER
    • KJWAN IS 2-STEP MARVELOUS
    • HALE KEEPS ALL YOUR LETTERS
  • OCTOBER
    • LET'S GO WITH IMAGO
    • JOHN MAYER, CONTINUED
    • JANET JACKSON CELEBRATES 20